Nicaragua: Interview with Álvaro Leiva, Secretary of the ANPDH



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Since the protests against the government of Daniel Ortega began, the Nicaraguan Association of Human Rights has been dedicated to the task of counting the number of dead, who have been killed. raises to more than 300 in three months. In an interview with El Espectador, the secretary general of this organization talks about his work in the difficult situation that exists in the country of Central America.

Three months have pbaded since protests against the government of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua began. the number of deaths increases considerably over the days, the number of deaths exceeding 300, nearly three per day

The person responsible for this count is the Nicaraguan Association of Human Rights (APNDH) , whose secretary, Alvaro Leiva, has become one of the visible faces of the conflict that faces the government with part of the citizenship. In an interview with El Espectador Leiva talks about the serious situation of public order that exists and tells how he has to work in a country that has been in constant violence for three months.

(You can read: Three Possible Scenarios in the Political Crisis in Nicaragua )

What began as a protest against a pension reform ends up degenerating into unprecedented violence Why?

The deep crisis of human rights violation that exists today in Nicaragua is the result of the government's reluctance to respect them. This has meant that over the years, impunity, indolence, injustice and especially lack of respect for democracy have normalized. This sum of things is what has generated all this chaos.

Violence has intensified over time. How many victims are going so far?

We have counted 351 deaths since the beginning of the demonstrations on April 18th. According to our sources, the vast majority of the dead are citizens who have been murdered and executed illegally, either by state forces or by paramilitary groups simply for exercising their right to protest.

The count of the dead is done?

Our source of information is the territorial promoters, who provide us daily reports accompanied by death certificates of the deceased. It is a serious list, attached to a reliable source of information

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But the government says that many of the victims are Sandinistas …

It's there that we do not know what's wrong. is Sandinism and that it is not, because in their ranks there is disagreement. There are Sandinistas who joined the protest because they are unhappy with the way Daniel Ortega runs the country, because they feel that the project that thousands of Nicaraguans have bet in 1979 was betrayed.

"We have counted 351 deaths Since the beginning of the demonstrations, April 18. The dead are mostly citizens who were killed and executed illegally."

You denounce human rights violations for years . What were these excesses?

Well, in principle, we saw with great concern how the powers of the state were centralized in one person, which affected the institutions of the country. This naturally led to the deterioration of the human rights issue because there were no strong institutions to guarantee these principles.

 Search result for crisis in nicaragua site: elespectador.com

According to the ANPDH, the death toll rises to more than 350 deaths. Photo: EFE

If Ortega has not yielded to popular pressures, what can he do now for him to leave?

We have a resolution of the OAS in which he condemned the act of Ortega It must be remembered that Nicaragua has obligations with the international community, and this will have repercussions. Ortega will have to decide to go through the democratic path, what the citizens claim, or will certainly repeat the 1979 history with the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. Citizens know what they want and respect their human rights, which have been violated in the management of Ortega

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"This is the worst crisis in the history of Nicaragua, it is incomparable even with the time of Anastasio Somoza."

Do you think that an issue is possible? negotiated in the conflict?

There is always a way to get out of it. If there is political will on the part of the Government of Nicaragua and citizens, there will always be hope. However, what is clear is that people no longer want Ortega in the presidency of the country.

Masaya has become a stronghold of opposition in Nicaragua. How is the situation today?

Masaya is currently suffering. The situation is serious since the city was occupied by paramilitary forces and what is now lived is suffering and bloodshed. The city was occupied by a force of more than 2,000 heavily armed men who faced a defenseless citizen who was protesting peacefully. President Ortega believed that he was fighting against a regular army, but he did not realize that he was fighting against an unarmed population, which caused chaos and terror. At this time, there are still fears for the actions of paramilitary forces, which carry out extrajudicial executions and commit acts committed outside the framework of the law, under the protection of the public force.

"There is always a way out .. There is a political will on the part of the Government of Nicaragua and the citizens, there will always be hope. "

Who are behind the paramilitary authorities? Do you think the government is organizing them?

According to what we can appreciate and the accusations we have received, these paramilitary groups are definitely organized, operated and run by the State of Nicaragua. Because you can not explain how people dressed in civilian clothes, with their faces covered and heavily armed, walk quietly on public roads and the police do nothing to stop them. It is clear that they are accomplices

(You may be interested in: Children are also victims of the crisis in Nicaragua )

Yes I had to compare what is happening now with the last shot of Somoza, what would it say?

This is the worst crisis in the history of Nicaragua. It's incomparable even with this time. The cruel acts that take place, executions, kidnappings by this government, are unprecedented in the history of the country.

What would you say to Daniel Ortega if you could talk to him?

That there is always time to be forgiven. There is always time to give way. He has the opportunity to do what the Nicaraguan people want, that is to say his resignation, and to do so to avoid further bloodshed, pain and mourning

What do you expect from the international community?

We await your solidarity and unconditional support for what Nicaragua's society as a whole requires, namely institutionalism and democracy. We know that the international community has spoken in favor of this, but we hope that the pressure will continue.

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